Diabetes – A huge challenge of resource, culture and change

At Staxi were acutely aware of the issues that affect our customers and the changing dynamics of population and health issues that effect large sections of society. Diabetes is one such condition that effects large numbers worldwide and which is of great significance within the United States. The work conducted to gain further understanding of the condition has been significant; increasing education to improve its understanding and potential avoidance continues, whilst finding new and effective treatments give positive hope.

There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Both types of diabetes are chronic diseases that affect the way your body regulates blood sugar, or glucose. Glucose is the fuel that feeds your body’s cells, but to enter your cells it needs a key. Insulin is that key.

People with type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin. You can think of it as not having a key.

People with type 2 diabetes don’t respond to insulin as well as they should and later in the disease often don’t make enough insulin. You can think of this as having a broken key.

Both types of diabetes can lead to chronically high blood sugar levels. That increases the risk of diabetes complications.

An estimated 30.3 million (350 million people worldwide) of all ages—or 9.4% of the U.S. population—had diabetes in 2015.

The percentage of adults with diabetes increased with age, reaching a high of 25.2% among those aged 65 years or older

What’s the cost?The total direct and indirect estimated cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2012 was $245 billion. Average medical expenditures for people with diagnosed diabetes were about $13,700 per year. About $7,900 of this amount was attributed to diabetes. After adjusting for age group and sex, average medical expenditures among people with diagnosed diabetes were about 2.3 times higher than expenditures for people without diabetes.

Most of us have a grasp on what diabetes is – Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough—or any—insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Glucose then stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells.

Staxi is always looking at how we can promote awareness of conditions of patients and increase in knowledge and understanding.

The link to Staxi may seem like a tenuous one, however, the ability to control patient flow within a facility and manage patient needs with efficiency and dignity elevates much demand on the limited financial and staff resources, therefore the focus can be placed upon effective patient treatment time and optimized professional consultation.

Staxi provides a patient transportation solution that delivers a quantifiable ROI for years (many facilities still have their original chairs – purchased over 18 years ago!). the 600lb weight capacity standard medical chair is the ideal facility-wide transport solution (we also have the Staxi Max which gives a 1000lb user weight limit).